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Heart of Appalachia & Blue Ridge Highlands State Parks

Heart of Appalachia Region = Appalachian Mountain Adventures

Breaks Interstate Park

Breaks Interstate Park in Dickenson County has been called "The Grand Canyon of the South." It covers 4,500 acres of woodland with lofty rock formations and caves.

Outdoor adventures include:

Trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding

Boating, but no gasoline motors

Freshwater fishing

Whitewater for expert kayakers and rafters

Olympic-size swimming pool,

Rent horses, ponies and paddleboats

Natural Tunnel State Park

Natural Tunnel is the main attraction at Natural Tunnel State Park. The tunnel was carved by what is now Stock Creek thousands of years ago, and many fossils can still be found in and around the tunnel walls! It's been said that Daniel Boone was probably the first person to discover the tunnel.

Outdoor adventures include:

Freshwater trout fishing

Hiking trails

5,400-square-foot swimming pool

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park features a beautiful Victorian mansion that serves as the museum. The people who stayed in this region are the Heart of Appalachia itself, learning to survive by their own determination, wits and skills.

Outdoor adventures include hiking trails and plenty sightings of wildlife!

Wilderness Road State Park

We start our exploration at the very southwest tip of Virginia at Wilderness Road State Park that borders the Wilderness Road, which was blazed by Daniel Boone in 1775. Also, Martin's Station, site of a Civil War Battle, presents living history reenactments every year in April.

Outdoor adventures include:

Trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding

Wilderness camping, without hookups.

Blue Ridge Highlands Region = Blue Ridge Mountains Adventures

Claytor Lake State Park

Claytor Lake State Park in the New River Valley covers 4,500 acres and is 21 miles long. The lake was formed in 1939 by the Appalachian Power Company as a hydroelectric plant before it became a recreation area in 1946.

Outdoor adventures include:

Boating,

Freshwater fishing and fishing pier

Swimming

Trails for hiking

Rent rowboats, canoes and motorboats.

Fairy Stone State Park

Home of the mysterious fairy stones, which are shaped like St. Andrew's and Roman crosses, Fairy Stone State Park is located in Patrick County.

Outdoor adventures include:

Trails for biking, hiking, horseback

Swimming

Freshwater fishing

Rent rowboats, paddleboats and canoes

Motorboats are permitted on the reservoir only.

Grayson Highlands State Park

In Grayson County bordered on the north by Jefferson National Forest, Grayson Highlands State Park is near Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain on Route 58. These mountains are the highest in the state at about 5,700 feet.

Outdoor adventures include:

Trails for mountain biking, hiking, horseback

Freshwater fishing

Outdoor programs

Rent horses by reservation

Hungry Mother State Park

Hungry Mother State Park in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains has beautiful forests and an 108-acre lake with a sandy beach! Legend says the park got its name from a hungry child looking for his mother!

Outdoor adventures include:

Trails for biking and hiking

Boating (except gasoline motors)

Freshwater fishing and pier

Swimming

Rent rowboats and paddleboats

New River Trail State Park

The New River Trail State Park follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way that parallels the New River for 39 miles. Another Rails to Trail Program, the park goes through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe and Pulaski counties with plenty of Native American history, railroad and mining history.